Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
by fragonknight01
Summary: Harry Potter is Severus Snape's 7th son and Voldie is his mother.  Now that these events are known things are about to change in the wizarding world.  And, what's up with Malfoy's name?  Crackfic/Slash
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: JKR still owns it all. I write AU/OOC...if you want canon you picked the wrong story.

THE SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON...maybe that's why you're such a strange and special one... (Sheena Easton song)

"Harry Potter! That name is beginning to make me sick. I don't want to hear anymore about him for a very long time!" Voldemort was sitting in his chair, trying to enjoy his toasty warm fire, but was being horribly disturbed by the continued existence of his arch nemeses. The presence of the hook-nosed potions prick who had delivered the latest missive from said antagonist wasn't improving things any.

Snape merely stood beside Voldie's chair, shoulders slightly bent toward the heat of the fire, maintaining an air of casual interest as he twiddled his thumbs behind his back. "M'Lord, you must understand my position. The brat has been resorted into Slytherin after coming back from summer break. He says he has news of immense magnitude and refuses to share it with anyone but you."

"I don't want to see the insufferable brat."

Snape heaved a sigh. "Even Dumbledore has been unable to extract any information from the boy. Surely, M'Lord, you can deal with him for a few minutes?"

Voldemort glared at Severus. "Just give me the wretched missive that the wretched beast has sent and let me get this over with."

Snape smiled benignly and reached for the roll of parchment that he had been unable to break open. "I tried to open it. Whatever it is must be good."

The seal fell off the paper as soon as it touched Voldie's hand. The older man bent and began to read. Within seconds he was cackling wildly and wiping tears from his eyes.

"What is the problem, Master?" Snape finally asked.

Voldemort looked up at Snape with an evil grimace in place. "Severus, you know how you wanted to have children when you were twenty?"

"Yes!" He nodded at the older man.

"I made that possible for you, didn't I?"

Snape again nodded his head in the affirmative. Then added rather petulantly, "But, I don't know who they are. I never got to bathe them, or bottle feed them, or even change a nappy." Looking straight at the really ugly guy he questioned, "Are you sure I have any children?"

"Well, since you are so keen to admit that you wanted a child, let me assure you that you have at least seven children who are alive and are doing just fine." The old warlock watched as what little color the younger man's face contained had drained away. "You have delivered to me a certified Wizarding birth certificate here."

Severus grabbed the pieces of paper away from the now smirking snakeoid. He quickly scanned the first document: an obviously fake birth certificate for one Harry James Potter. The original was a birth certificate made out to the parents of Sauron Tiberious Snape; parents listed as Tom M. Riddle, mater, and Severus Snape, pater. The last paper contained a list of the family tree of Snape; a family tree that included Harry James Potter nee Sauron Tiberius Snape along with six other names listed under Severus' name.

It seems that someone knew about Severus Snape and his sexual escapades when he was younger. Harry Potter was none other than Sauron Tiberius Snape; the seventh son of a seventh son. The birth father was still standing there in shock when a Gringotts Goblin apparated into the room, handed Severus a wrapped package, had him sign for it with a drop of blood, then disapparated.

Severus grinned as he handed the birth certificate back to Voldemort. "Well, Momma, I really must ask you why you are so determined to be rid of the boy when he is your own child. Your only child if I am correct?"

Voldemort glared at Severus for an indeterminate amount of time before sneering. "Fat lot of good that does me, you know." Then he gave Severus a beatific smile. "So, I guess it is a bit late but I'll have you know that all six of the Weasely boys are your sons also."

Severus gave Tom a stupid look. "How in Circe's tits did you manage that?"

Tom snickered. "Do you remember the first time you went on a Death Eater raid with your father and I brought you a prize as a reward for doing such a good job?"

Snape's skin paled even further. "Eugh." was all he managed to gag out before he slumped to the floor in a dead faint.

Voldemort cackled with glee as he watched his Potions Master sleeping on the floor. "You would probably be dead by now if it were not for the fact that you were a seventh son…of course it doesn't hurt that you are bloody brilliant with potions." He left Snape lying there and wandered into the kitchen for a cup of PG Tips with cream and sugar.

Later on, after Snape had finally regained his formidable thought processes, and vanished the wrinkles from his robe, he resumed baiting Tom. "So, why exactly are you angry with the boy?"

Tom glared at him through red eyes. "Just how would you feel about a child after giving birth to it, having it stolen, spending the next fifteen months tracking it down, and then after killing the kidnappers and reaching down to pick it up; it looks up at you with an innocent expression on, points it's finger at you, and says, 'Avada Kedavara'?"

Severus smiled complacently at his somewhat iffy partner. "Well, at least everyone believed that it was you who cast the killing curse and that it had rebounded. Your claim to be the Dark Lord is going to be a bloody joke if everyone finds out that a fifteen-month old took you out using wandless magic."

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><p>Yes, folks, this story is a repost from several years ago. If you see errors that need corrected let me know. If you have ideas or questions feel free to get the message to me.<p> 


	2. You can't even love yourself

Disclaimers: JKR still owns it all. I write AU/OOC...if you want canon you picked the wrong story.

THE SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON...maybe that's why you're such a strange and special one... (Sheena Easton song)

* * *

><p>Disclaimers: Delusions don't count…she still owns it all.<p>

Chapter 2: You can't even love yourself

Severus soon found that Voldemort had no desire what-so-ever to claim Harry James Potter as his son and heir. Harry might have been just a toddler when he accidentally did wandless magic and destroyed his mother's physical body, but he was being held responsible for the act. Therefore it gave Snape a great deal of perverse pleasure in thwarting the older man's attempts to rid the world of the obnoxious boy simply because he thought Voldemort's attitude was ridiculous… Besides, now that he knew the child was his son and only had the appearance of James 'Dippy Dork' Potter, Severus found several things pleasing about him. The same could not be said for a few of his other sons. cough***Percy and Ronald***cough...

He simply did not have enough information to work with. Having seven children was not common in the wizarding world. Most famlies stopped with three or four at the most simply because most magical folks were greedy, self-centered, egotistical pricks (and that was the nice ones). Having to spend time, effort, and/or money on something other than ones self was relatively unheard of. But, a lack of knowledge never kept Severus Tobias Snape down; he would learn what he neede to.

The first thing Sevvy did was make Voldie angry enough to reveal a few clues regarding his reasoning behind creating the boy. The key phrase there seemed to be the fact that Harry was the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. There would need to be some magical research done on his part since Snape was not aware of any benefits, magical or otherwise, beyond learning from six older siblings who were all intent on hexing his bits off… and tearing holes in clothes before they passed them on to him. Being the first Seventh Son had not been a pleasant experience; especially after his older siblings left home and/or were killed for not leaving quickly enough.

After changing the subject then listening to Voldie rant for another hour on the quality of Death Eaters, he finally escaped to Malfoy Manor, where he had to shag Narcissa because she needed the exercise (and really it was no great hardship). After that he was free to use the Library for a bit of research.

Severus was exhausted by the time he got to the last few books that the Library reference book said contained the phrase he was seeking information on: The first was a book with the improbably title of **_The Seventh Son_**. (See footnote 1.)

It gave some information about a seventh son who was born while all his six brothers still lived. _"Such a birth is a powerful magic; such a boy is destined to become something great- perhaps even a Maker. But no Maker has been born for many a century, and there is no lore to tell how the Maker's knack works."_

Severus snarled, "Fuck! Most of this stuff is so useless. I suppose I am going to have to goad him into telling me what I want to know." He rubbed his temple and contemplated that scenario. It usually involved him having to bed the creepy creature…it was bad enough the first time around, but now that he had been reincarnated and was so bony and snake-like. "Eugh!" did not go far enough to describe Snape's aversion to shagging the green tinged scaly creep. Molly Prewett Weasley was a much better bed partner; she was soft in all the right places, talented beyond all belief, and always happy to conceive beautiful babies…

"OK, last book and then I suppose I shall have to go thank Narcissa for letting me use the Library." He mumbled. Reaching for the book, he also had the thought, 'I should call a house elf for a light snack. If Lucius is home I shall not get away from the Manor without shagging both of them at least half a dozen times. He wondered sometimes why the Malfoys kept the damn house elves when they knew that the creatures dosed their food with aphrodisiacs…it probably had something to do with one of the Malfoy legends regarding meeting the requirements for time, place, and sheer number of shaggings required to produce another child.

The book Severus picked up was really old and written in an earlier form of what would later become the Welsh Dialect. It was so old and fragile that it could have possibly been written when the Druids still worshipped on the Island. The title roughly translated into **_Tales of Magic: From Womb to Tomb. _**He quickly thumbed to the page bearing the heading: **_'Overview of the Legend and Mythology of the Seventh Son'. _**

Severus learned that the legend of the Seventh Son predated the**_ King James Bible _**which mentioned Seventh Son in several places, and the legend actually went back to the dawn of magic…

**The Legend states the 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' is the unborn one in the poetic sense, 'He' being preordained by his birthright too be a 'Maker of Things' endowed with gifts of 'second sight', 'predicting the future', 'healer', 'lucky', and a 'devil may care attitude'. The seventh son was also referred to as the 'Divine One' or the 'Chosen One'; who has a 'special purpose in life' for the 'Lord of Hosts' who is also cursed by the good and evil forces battling for his eternal soul. (See footnote 2.)**

To paraphrase the rest of the information: A seventh Son was all-knowing and was credited with all major advances and set-backs accorded to civilization. Severus snapped the book shut and rubbed his tired eyes before looking out the window at the rising sun.

He had a place to start when working with the son whom he had just been informed of. He knew it was bad form to leave the Manor without excusing himself to his hosts, but Severus was determined to get back to Hogwarts and talk to Harry before the shadows grew long in the west…

He took with him a copy of the Legend, and quickly made his way to the fireplace. Before going, he summoned a house elf and had it report back to its master that he had found a bit of information and would like to speak to him regarding it later that evening.

Footnotes:

http/ The Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card copyright 1987. 

http/ Information article: Seventh Son


	3. Information is at a premium

Disclaimers: JKR still owns it all. I write AU/OOC...if you want canon you picked the wrong story.

THE SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON...maybe that's why you're such a strange and special one... (Sheena Easton song)

* * *

><p>Disclaimers: Delusions don't count…she still owns it all.<p>

Chapter 3: Information is at a premium...

Severus groaned as he walked back to Hogwarts after flooing into the _Three Broomsticks_. Sometimes he really resented the fact that he couldn't just floo into his own rooms, portkey somewhere besides the Infirmary, or just apparate into the wretched premises. But no, he had to live at Hogwarts, and Hogwarts had to have high security standards…which never actually seemed to keep the bad guys out- it did, however, slow down the good ones.

He stopped along the way and picked several morning glories and a few other early morning flowers that he would need to brew some potions for the Infirmary. Gathering the ingredients would also provide him with an alibi for going out early in order to distract certain people from thinking correctly that he had been away from the castle all night.

Regardless of where he had spent the time, it had been a long night, and he still needed to find Harry and speak to him. As he walked up the steps, he jammed his wand hand back into his pocket, and realized that he had forgotten to open the package that the Gringotts Goblin had made him sign for. He patted it with his long, stained fingers, and left it in the pocket so that the people eating breakfast in the Great Hall wouldn't be so curious. People were just going to have to get over their insatiable curiosity because he wasn't about to spill any of his secrets to anyone except his new-found son.

Severus stopped midstride and thought about that- he was inordinately proud that Harry was his child. He liked Bill, Charlie, and the twins, but he really was proud to be Harry Potter's real father. Percy and Ronald would never rate on his parental meter. He supposed he could slip a few galleons in Ron's Christmas stocking, but that was about all he would do for the boy. Thank Merlin that the other five boys were already gone so that he did not have to stress about them being there at school.

The hall was full- as if he expected anything else on a day when he didn't want to deal with people. So, being his mean, snarky self, he approached Potter and hissed, "If you are finished stuffing your gullet until you look like Crabbe and Goyle standing side by side, maybe you can find the time to take these plants to my laboratory and put fresh stasis charms on them. When that is done, I expect you to start cleaning the cauldrons."

Harry looked up at him with a chipper grin on. "YO, Daddy! Whasup, Big Greasy?"

Snape actually smirked at the cocksure little brat. "Your life span if you don't do exactly what I just told you to." His smile widened as he leaned closer, "and, I guarantee I can make Vernon Dursley's discipline sessions look like playschool."

His son actually had the audacity to laugh at him before jumping to his feet and saluting smartly while at the position of attention. "Thur, Yeth Thur."

After giving malevolent glares to the rest of the Gryffindors, he meandered his way to the Staff table and sat down at his seat. He counted in his head to ten while giving Minerva time to lose her temper and round on him for harassing one of her little darlings (even if the little darling had jumped ship on the rest of the Gryffindor rats…).

Just as she was about to go off on him, he raised his finger to his lips and shushed her. "Before you start, you need to understand that Mr. Potter and I are trying to work out some of our differences while still appearing to be rather steadfast in our dislike for the other. There is a bit of necessity in our subterfuge and he isn't actually cleaning cauldrons. He should be making his way to the kitchens as we speak to collect a small chocolate birthday cake that he had Dobby make for young Mr. Malfoy since today is actually Mr. Malfoy's birthday."

Minerva glared at him. "When dinner is finished, I expect you to escort me to the party. I am particularly fond of Double Deviled Devil Food cake; especially when Winky makes it."

Severus stared at her aghast. "You honestly think that I would give my little snakes Devil's Food cake that has been soaking in double malt whiskey for a month?"

The old cat didn't even blink. "Well, since it is Malfoy, and it is his 18th- yes. The whole of the snake pit will be drunk off their ever-loving ugly butts in about an hour and a half of the party starting. I'm willing to have a bite of his cake and wish him a good life. After all, he is secretly seeing my favorite boy."

Severus shook his head. "There is only one way you could know all the stuff you do. You have been sneaking around in cat form again and spying on the children, haven't you?"

"Yes. It is a very rewarding occupation. You should shift into your bat form more often and fly around other places besides the Astronomy tower."

Severus huffed haughtily and let the comment slide. After all, there really isn't anything wrong with being a flying fox bat. "I think I look quite attractive. I'm also quite rare since the usual flying fox bat lives in Latin America."

McGonagall just shook her head and mumbled something. When asked what it was she had said she repeated, "Just get on with you. I will be ready to attend if you would be kind enough to escort me into your common room."

Severus watched her walk away and thought about what she had said. He had not been aware that Draco and Harry were 'seeing each other', or whatever bit of idiocy they used these days to describe an excuse to snog in dark corners.

He finished eating his grits and chitlins and after grabbing a few greengage plums, he headed down to the dungeons.

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><p>The party turned out to be quite a bit of fun. It was Malfoy's luck of course to have his birthday fall after all the NEWTs had been taken. Everyone was ready to let off some steam and the variety of foods and drinks were a real tribute to the Malfoy party expertise. He had even, with his mother's help, arranged for the First through Fourth years to sing, dance, and party safely. Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh years all managed to keep the party discreet until the younger ones had gone to bed.<p>

Somewhere in the melee, Severus found the time to talk to Harry about arranging some time later that night to talk about the message he had carried to Lord Voldemort. Severus was quite surprised to note that Harry had seemed comfortable with the whole ordeal and said he would make time for Severus whenever he could leave without being rude to Draco.

It was the early morning hours when Harry finally managed to knock on Snape's door. When the older man opened it he narrowed his eyes to see that Draco was with Harry. "When I asked to speak to you I wasn't aware of the fact that I had invited Mr. Malfoy along. This was to be a private conversation regarding family matters."

Draco just grinned his usual smarmy Slytherin grin. "Can it with the insults, Godfather. There is a reason I am here with Harry."

"By all means then. Please come in before anyone else sees you."

Harry smirked. "No one bothers to follow us. They reckon when we disappear together all we do is shag."

The older man's eyebrow rose in challenge, "And you don't?"

Draco and Harry both glared at him. "PLEASE! We do have more to do than that. Since we are soul mates and have accepted the bond we have all the time in the world. We are going to wait until after we speak our vows to do the physical bond. We intend to do that after we get the crazy mother under control."

Snape shook his head at the two. "OK with me. He really isn't my cup of tea anyway. He's your mother, you can do what you feel you have to regarding the situation." Then he grinned evilly and added, "Besides, if you kill him then I don't have…"

Draco squawked, "NO! Don't go there!"

As Severus stood there snickering Harry decided to change the subject by pretending that last statement had never been made. "I pretty much knew before I sent him the birth certificates that he was going to be difficult about everything. However, I had to let him know that I knew. Having him share the information with you has been an added bonus since you seem to have accepted the situation." He cocked his head in a bemused fashion, "You have accepted the fact that I am your seventh son haven't you?"

Snape nodded his head affirmatively. "I think I have known for a long time that you are a Snape by blood. I wasn't aware that you were a seventh son until Tom told me yesterday."

Draco was at a loss this time. "You have seven sons?" He looked at Snape in confusion. "You have often bemoaned the fact that you have no legal heirs. What about you casting the "Family by Desire" spell on me? Did you cast it on other boys? How did you get six other sons?"

Severus wandered back over to his favorite chair and sank down in it. That is a really long story, Draco, and I don't want to get into it tonight. The short version is that the six Weasley boys are also my sons thanks to Voldemort. I don't know what his deal is with Arthur Weasley and something tells me I may not want to know. I suppose that eventually we will have to sit down and get all this straight. It is going to be awkward because the oldest 'Weasley' boys are barely a dozen years younger than I am."

Draco sat down on the couch beside Harry and the three of them gazed into the fire for quite awhile before Severus became restless and accidentally tapped his fingers against the package hidden in his robes. Both boys heard his breath catch as he began working it out of his pocket.

They sat up straighter but didn't rush him as he looked at the address on the front of the package: Potions Master- must fit two additional criteria…

Must be a first generation Seventh Son

Must have the knowledge that he has produced seven sons

He read it softly to them before checking the package for curses. The only thing he found was the time delay spell that was so old as to be almost unfunctional.

"Open it up, Dad. I want to see what you have been sent. I'm sure it relates to the situation we are in now. Maybe it will help us get rid of Mumsy Dearest."

Draco snickered at Harry's sorry attempt at humor and shook his head. "How you ever manage to call that man your mother is beyond me."

Harry smiled sweetly at his other half. "It's because we brewed the Familial Potion and we both know that it never lies. I did have the devil's own time trying to find the birth certificates to prove it, but you know the whole story since you have been with me the entire time I was searching."

They returned their attention to Severus. He had finally managed to get the package unwrapped and was holding a small wooden jewelry box in his hands. The box was of a wood so old that it had faded to the color of alabaster even without the aid of sunlight. It was also inlaid with mother of pearl in the Japanese tradition to form what was recognizable to all three of them as the Malfoy Family crest. Inside the unlocked box was a Gringotts key to vault 001.

Tradition stated that Vault 001 at Gringotts was in fact theCrystalCavewhere Merlin was said to be entombed. A trip to Gringotts was in order it would appear…


	4. A Mother's love

Disclaimers: JKR still owns it all. I write AU/OOC...if you want canon you picked the wrong story.

THE SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON...maybe that's why you're such a strange and special one... (Sheena Easton song)

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><p>Disclaimers: Delusions don't count…she still owns it all.<p>

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: A mother's love?<p>

After Severus left Riddle Manor, Tom felt at a loss of what to do. The Birth Certificates were a painful reminder of what had happened fifteen years ago.

The thought was there in his mind: his perfect child had grown into a perfect man. There was no doubt that Harry was a special child. How else could he have found out about being the product of two such powerful wizards. Tom just knew that the explanation for Harry knowing that he, Tom, was his mother would be because Lily Evans Potter had left him a timed letter to be delivered on the boy's 17th birthday.

Tom couldn't understand why she had taken his child anyway. Lily had been a healer at St. Mungo's and had seen him all the way through the pregnancy. The possibility that she was doing genetic research and had stumbled across the fact that Harry was Severus Snape's seventh son had not occurred to him. Since all the old families kept detailed records regarding their pure-blood status, it had not been hard for Lily to obtain the information that Severus was a first generation seventh son. The Prince family line showed that Severus was an only child. The Snape line was an altogether different set of genetic irregularities; Mr. Snape had been as indiscriminate as he had been prolific…

Lily Evans Potter had documented all of her research and left it for Harry to assimilate. Her research had been timed to be delivered a few months before he was due to gain his magical inheritance just in case he needed help to get through his ordeal. Her logical choice for helping him through the ordeal had been to very pointedly tell him to go to Professor Snape and explain everything to him if the man were still alive and capable of assisting him.

Tom was convinced that his great plan had gone undetected and had arbitrarily decided that she had stolen his child because she thought he would be an unfit parent. He had only been sixty when he delivered Harry. Sixty was barely reaching the lowest rung in the ladder of middle age for wizards since they tended to live to at least a hundred and twenty. There was just no way possible that the Potters had found out that Harry had been deliberately genetically engineered by Tom for nefarious purposes.

Tom sat staring into the fire for long hours as he contemplated what needed to be done about the boy whom the world knew as Harry James Potter. Obviously the boy was not going to fall into line and follow the plan that Tom had originally conceived (literally as well as figuratively).

There would have to be a meeting between him and his son. Of course he would have to prepare for the meeting with several strengthening rituals first. He was going to need Lucius Malfoy's help. That man was totally invaluable when it came to procuring costly and rare items. Lucius was actually quite useful in several ways; his money, his home, and at a stretch- even his intelligence. Maybe he could even enlist Lucius' help in thinking up a way to dispose of Potter without having to explain the significance of the deed. Then again, maybe it would be more fun to explain things to Lucius in order to engage his more 'creative' side fully.

Voldie's thinking session could be compared to a battle of wits with an unarmed man. With him being the unarmed man… He finally gave up on plotting the demise of his latest cock-up and tried to focus on something more productive. One thing that could be considered productive would be the burning question: What was in that package that Gringott's Goblin had delivered to Severus? Voldie's imagination ran wild with vivid images of all sorts of scenarios.

The question eventually began to prey upon his mind to the point where he simply had to know. Nothing else was going to suit him until he solved the mystery of what was in the little brown package. It had been extremely rude of Severus to not share the surprise with him. Tom growled and gnashed his pointy fangs until he was in danger of chipping several of them.

Decision made, Tom called for Wormtail. He used his mark to summon Severus and Lucius. After calling for the two of them, he gave a contented sigh and crucioed Wormtail a few times just to keep in shape while he waited. Some changes were going to have to be made. One of the changes would involve not letting Severus get away with such blatant disrespect. And it really had been very disrespectful of him not to share his Gringotts package with his Lord and Master.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (or was that Hogwarts?), Potions Master Snape and his two youngsters had accomplished a major bit of brainstorming and had come up with a workable plan. Snape had acted like he was coming unglued when he found out that Harry was seeing Draco, and had fire-called Albus demanding that he be allowed to escort the two boys back to Malfoy Manor to have a 'little chat' with Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy.

It hadn't taken the three of them any time at all to convince Albus that they did need to visit Lucius. All Harry and Draco had to do was start crying and carrying on that they would be given to the Dark Lord on itty-bitty snack crackers once Lucius was finished with them and he couldn't wait to make sure the boys were safe at home with loving parents tending to their every need, want, and desire.

So they find themselves in THE Malfoy's study, sipping tea and discussing the latest in adventures with a totally enthralled Lord and Lady Malfoy. Narcissa kept trying to steer the conversation to weddings, babies, and domesticated bliss while her husband kept ignoring her in favor of hearing all the details of why Severus had been given a key to Merlin's vault which supposedly had his body in it.

Narcissa finally gave up trying to be civil and shrieked, "Fine! Just bag your asses off to Gringotts! Just give me five minutes to freshen my glamour charms and change my cloak. No way in hell am I going to be left out of this adventure."

Having Narcissa around to give the orders really simplified things. All four males wolfed their sandwiches, sucked their tea down like they had been on aSaharatrek for the last five weeks, and presented themselves to her for inspection before flooing off to the bank.

When the band of five entered the bank, a small female goblin detached herself from the counter and went forward to greet her favorite human. "Verna the Vile greets Mistress Malfoy and wishes to be of service to her." The goblin bowed to the ground and raised up with a happy smile that showed teeth, teeth, and more teeth.

Draco and Harry looked at each other and quivered in disgust. "There is a reason those things don't smile much." They said to each other mentally at the same time. Both then nodded their heads and proceeded to follow Madame Malfoy, who was happily mincing her way to the carts.

Lucius and Severus both groaned and turned slightly green while holding their stomachs. Finally Lucius managed to get up the nerve to say, "Cissy, darling, do you think that you and the boys can go in Verna's cart and Severus and I can use the next one that is free?"

"Don't be stupid, Lucius. We can all go in the same cart. We are all going to the same place and the cart is big enough. Now stop acting like a baby and get in."

Draco mentally sent an image to Harry of his fraternal paternal unit heaving after riding in the cart that managed to make the "Bullet" look like a toy train set. Today was going to be fun because Severus also had an aversion to the carts and if there was one thing Cissy loved it was a fast ride in the Gringotts carts.

The ride was everything Verna and the three speed demons wished for. Draco and Harry both smiled at the animation Cissy was displaying as she jumped out of the cart and yelled, "Yes! Anyone up for round 2?"

Lucius and Severus only wished for death. Then they screamed in terror as they almost got that wish. When they hung their heads over the side of the cart and barfed, they hit a dragon on the head and she was not too pleased with them sharing their lunch in such a fashion. Verna barely managed to get the lot of them into the vault before the dragon came back for a second pass, shooting flames at the guilty wizards back sides.

The inside of the vault was rather anti-climatic. There didn't seem to be much there except a few old books and a beautiful sword that Harry immediately took a liking to. What the lot of them did not know was that being that far underground and so close to the source of the Malfoy magic, the dark marks which were burned into their arms was not even activated to produce an itch. It might have had something to do with the little fire dragon that perched on top of a mirror and watched her carefully laid plans start to come to fruitation. Finally, the fire dragon would find redemption for the accident that caused so much damage all those years ago…


	5. history repeating itself

Disclaimers: JKR still owns it all. I write AU/OOC...if you want canon you picked the wrong story.

THE SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON...maybe that's why you're such a strange and special one... (Sheena Easton song)

* * *

><p>The cosmic knowledge fish are first introduced in Muppets: From outer space.<p>

Chapter 5: History repeating itself.

The group soon decided that they would stay in the vault for awhile and hopefully the dragon whom they had angered would calm down and go away. At any rate it was a good theory and Lucius and Severus were all for not going out any time soon. They decided that they would go ahead and start reading the books that were piled up.

While Lucius and Severus were idly thumbing through some of Merlin's personal journals, Narcissa sat down and reached for the feminine looking diary. She squealed excitedly and began reading: **_"A rose by any other name should still smell as sweetly." _**

Lucius turned and looked at her. "What are you reading, Dearest? That sounds like Shakespeare."

Narcissa smiled up at him and answered. "This journal appears to be a gift from Merlin to his lady-wife. That was the first line of dedication to her."

**_The forward of Gwendoloena's diary: The first page, written in Merlin's own handwriting, was a dissertation of her name and all the diminutives that he, Merlin, had been able to tie to her._**

**_His dedication began with: "There are those who call you The Lady of the Lake. Your proper name is whispered to be Nimue, or Vivienne, by those who know us not. Our wedding parchment states that your name is Gwendoloena, but all I ever see is perfect love. Nimue is thought to be related to Mneme, the shortened form of Mnemosyne, one of the nine water-nymph Muses of Roman and Greek Mythology who gave weapons. Maybe you are related to those goddesses; you are beauty personified, and have borne a gift, a weapon of war, to my liege. The Celts whom we come in contact with call you Vivienne; probably derived from "Co-Vianna", a variant of their water-goddess, Coventina. (footnote 1)_**

Lucius leaned over and snatched the diary and began to read. He made funny faces for a few seconds then spoke, "Severus, do you remember your Latin? I think Merlin wrote a formula here where he points to the fact that they were married."

Severus stepped up beside him and quickly checked. "Yes, it appears that he did the translation correctly. Do you remember in History of Magic where there are some poems that refer to Gwendoloena as his wife? Look, when it is broken down: Gw-end(-ol)-oena Cov-ent-ina."

Harry and Draco just smiled softly at each other. When they had bonded at the metaphysical level they had gained most of the knowledge that their respective parents were just now reading. They 'knew' without worrying about the 'why' that they were the first reincarnation of Merlin and his love. They would eventually figure out why it had taken so long for all the conditions to be met for their rebirth instead of their resurrection.

The two boys transfigured a rock into a loveseat and cuddled together to sleep and dream each others dreams as they waited for their fathers to stop playing 'Cosmic Knowledge Fish' and get ready to travel to their next destination. It would be wasted effort on their parts to interrupt the reading of the diary with their story since it would just take twice as long to tell the tale than to let the older men read the diary regardless of the length of time it took…

As the boys settled down in slumber the fire dragon crawled down the side of the mirror and made her way over to the sleeping boys. She twined herself around their necks and settled in as a life-like jeweled collar. Eventually her purring caught the attention of Narcissa Malfoy.

Narcissa smiled in joyful recognition of the little dragon as she stared at her. She rushed to her beloved pet, Merlina, and touched her gently with shaking hands.

It sighed in happiness as it was once again petted and pampered by the Lady of Shallot. It sent mental pictures to her of being an obedient pet and guarding the mirror that caused so much trouble for her in her last life.

Narcissa just kept petting her and began whispering softly that all was well with her now. She was no longer bound to the mirror and was living a real life. The dragon had done well to transport the mirror down here where humans would no longer be ensnared to it. (Footnote 2)

The dragon replied in hushed tones that she had used the mirror as a view to the outside world while she waited for the rebirth of Merlin. The old man they all knew as Albus Dumbledore was serving in the role of King Arthur and the evil prat Voldemort could be equated to Mordred. She spoke of the evil that had befallen the world every time the two of them had been born in the same lifespan. It had taken much of Merlina's power to call upon Merlin to once more come forth and be named The King's Champion. As they spoke and the boys dreamed, Lucius and Severus practically devoured the journal.

Lucius idly cast a charm to transfigure a chair for him and Severus also. They sat down and began reading the tale from Gwendoloena's point of view.

**_Dear Diary, _**

**_Merlin gave you to me just yesterday. He must have had a vision and you are to play the part as my solace and my honor._**

**_How it pains me that I must hold you and not my beloved Merlin. Already I can hear the dissonance from those here in my home. I dare not speak of what has befallen my dearest one since there are those who would kill him outright if they found him in such weakened condition…_**

The writing was difficult to read and the tear stains had almost ruined the ink in many places. Gwendoloena had obviously cried buckets to make such a mess of everything the way she had. There were several pages of ranting against the fates that seemed to be covering a span of approximately five years before she settled in to make a documented account of what she was doing.

**_Dear Diary,_**

**_Today is the third Waning Moon of Harvest Season. I shall attempt one more time to call an Ice Phoenix. All my research in the last five years indicates that only an ice shard given willingly then plunged through Merlin's heart can draw the poison from his body that threatens to kill him if I remove the stasis spell from him. _**

**_You ask why I have spelled him to sleep? I was there when he was bitten by a baby fire dragon that he was attempting to help from its egg. It was an accident, but the devastation was irreversible even though the little dragon cried tears of remorse over the wound and then swore fealty to my family until the wrong should be righted._**

**_I fear all shall be lost and long for the time I may rejoin my Lord and Master. If it were not for the fact that I am still needed by our son, I would join Merlin in death as I fear that is the only way we will be reunited… _**

Lucius heaved a sigh and looked at Severus. "A comedy of errors it sounds like. I still don't understand why all these papers are in a vault everyone knows belonged to Merlin and it has the Malfoy family seal on it."

Severus gave him a peculiar smile before speaking. "Actually, Lucius, I think you do know. Obviously the Malfoy family is a descendent of Merlin. I don't think there is a coincidence that the males in your family all have the height and coloring of Merlin and every few generations produces a boy child with the mark of the dragon on him that tradition in your family dictates he be named Draco."

Footnote 1: www britannia com history biographies merlin html (to retrieve the entire story please put ( .) in the first two blanks and a (/) in the rest of the blanks.

2: Lady of Shalott by Lord Alford Tennyson written in 1888


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